title: "We need our own food, to grow our own veggies…" Remote Aboriginal food gardens in the Top End of Australia's Northern Territory.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Remote Aboriginal community gardens (gardens) frequently operate below their full potential. A set of gardening sustainability principles may improve their planning, operation and long-term sustainability. This paper aims to document the principles of sustainability of non-profit remote Aboriginal community gardens in the Top End of the Northern Territory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Throughout 2011, gardens in the Top End of the Northern Territory were visited. Interviews and observational data were used to explore the principles of garden sustainability with participants. Subsequent iterative thematic analysis informed development of a set of gardening sustainability principles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Principles of sustainability included effective garden planning; community autonomy, consultation and engagement; growing community vetted crops; employing long-term, effective, culturally sensitive managers; long-term, transparent funding organisations and cycles; garden integration into existing food supply chains; culturally appropriate employment arrangements; and physical aspects of successful gardening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work uniquely consults gardeners, managers and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of both genders in the largest reported study of its type, resulting in new and expanded findings, particularly including new social factors for gardening success.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expanding the understanding of what makes gardens work to include the important social factors identified here may have merit.
authors.affiliation: Menzies School of Health Research - Nutrition, John Matthews Building, Royal Darwin Hospital Campus, Northern Territory School of Population Health, University of South Australia Menzies School of Health Research - Nutrition, John Matthews Building, Royal Darwin Hospital Campus, Northern Territory.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hume
authors.forename: Kerin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Dea
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brimblecombe
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003256:Community Participation; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D051639:Gardening; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D015876:Northern Territory; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: Aboriginal; horticulture; nutrition